The players, unaffected by yesterday's long-distance travel, all energetically participated in light morning exercises.
After that, we had breakfast and moved to the tournament venue. The venue used the training facilities of 1FC Union Berlin, where 24 teams gathered from around the world for a group photo and opening ceremony under the slogan "Football for Friendship."
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In the lottery, FC Tokyo was placed in Group A, and will compete in the qualifying league with three teams: MTK Budapest (Hungary) and Atletico Madrid (Spain).
In the first match of the qualifying league, we faced MTK Budapest. Given that it was the opening match and the tournament format is unique (a field slightly larger than a 7-a-side futsal court, with one 16-minute half), it was a situation where anything could happen. We started with an opening goal in the 5th minute and continued to score, finishing with 4 goals and successfully winning our first match 4-0.
In the second match of the qualifying league, we faced Atletico Madrid. The opponent has one loss, but for FC Tokyo to advance in the qualifying league, a loss is not permitted, and we conceded a goal early in the match.
After that, they found their rhythm, equalized immediately, and won 3-1. They were able to advance from the qualifying league in first place.
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Due to the tournament regulations, there was no time for lunch, so we utilized the catering of fruits and drinks in the special tent on the field for energy replenishment.
We will challenge the first match of the Final Round (Quarterfinals).
The opponent is Slovan (Slovakia).
We conceded two goals in quick succession due to our own coordination mistakes against an opponent with the ability to advance to the Final Round, feeling the difficulty of the Final Round.
However, after that, they scored 2 goals without rushing and finished 2-2. They entered a 5-minute extra time.
In the extra time, they scored 3 goals in quick succession without losing focus, advancing to the Semifinal Round.
And the opponent in the Semifinal Round is Rapid (Austria). It has become a battle that absolutely cannot be lost for tomorrow's Final Round.
Rapid is a team that can advance the game while involving everyone in both offense and defense, including individual techniques and judgments, even when watching the qualifying league.
Tokyo seemed to show signs of fatigue from the consecutive matches, conceding multiple goals and ultimately losing 3-5, finishing the tournament in the top four.
Unfortunately, we were unable to advance to the Final Round, but facing a team like Rapid revealed our shortcomings and highlighted the challenges we need to address.
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After the match, we had a late lunch and toured the city of Berlin by bus, visiting historically significant buildings such as the Berlin Wall before returning to the hotel.
Tomorrow, we want to expand our values in football by experiencing authenticity through Mr. Beckenbauer's forum and watching the Champions League Final Round.
